SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
imply
verb
To suggest or communicate something indirectly.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Suggest indirectly
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topA speaker implies a meaning; a listener infers it. Insinuate often suggests an unfavorable implication.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See imply in use
Her careful choice of words seemed to imply a reservation.
Rosa also collected quantitative information, including attendance counts and recorded waiting times. She could infer from the notes that some visitors valued personal introductions, but she could not infer everyone's preference from a few comments. In her report, she avoided wording that might imply a certainty the evidence did not provide.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license